There is an event held every four years where athletes from almost every

country meet to share and compete in more than 25 sports. The Olympic
Games is the biggest sporting event in the world. More than a
competition, it is a call for humanity to remember that humans across
cultures can unite around a cause and live in peace. This is why the five
colored rings of the Olympic flag are meant to represent the five
continents of the world all intertwined as one. That is the true meaning of
the Olympics: one world united by sports.

The modern Olympic Games are composed by Summer Games and

Winter Games. They are celebrated every four years but there are 2
years between the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, so they are
never celebrated the same year.

They take place in a different host city, selected by the International

Olympic Committee (IOC).

Olympics facts:

 In 1924, the first Winter Olympic Games were celebrated in Chamonix, a

French city.
 The USA has won total of 2,189 medals in the Summer Games,
becoming the country with most medals won in the Summer
Olympics. On the other hand, the country which has won the most
medals in the Winter Olympics is Norway, with a total of 263
medals.
 No country in the Southern Hemisphere has ever hosted the
Winter Games.
 Brazil, which will host the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, will
be the first country in South America to host the Olympic Games.
Also, the Olympic Games have never been held in Africa.
 A record 202 countries participated in the 2004 Olympic Summer
Games in Athens.
 Only four athletes have ever won medals at both the Winter and
Summer Olympic Games: Jacob Tullin Thams (Norway), Christa
Luding-Rothenburger (East Germany), Clara Hughes (Canada),
and Eddie Eagan (United States).
 Although China did not win a medal until 1964, they won 100
medals (51 of which were gold medals) during the Beijing Olympics.
  First place winners in the 1900 Olympics were given paintings
instead of gold medals as they were considered more valuable.
(Facto monsters, s.f.)

 Anthem: A song or musical composition that represents and organization,

city or country.
 Athlete: A person who trains in a sport.
 Competition: A sport contest or race where the best performance is prized.
 Doping: The act of using illegal substances before a competition
to enhance performance.
 Host city: A selected city that organizes The Olympics and provides the
facilities.
 Medal: A piece of metal usually rounded given to a person as a prize for the
best performance.
 Record: The best performance by a team or an athlete in given sport.
 Torch: A burning light that symbolizes the Olympic Games and that is
transferred from host city to host city every four years.

Qatar is a small Arab country located on the Northeast coast of the

Arabian Peninsula. With a population of only 2 million people, Qatar is the
richest country in the world. Its economy is based on the exploitation of
gas and oil. Qatar’s society is quite conservative and its main religion is
Islam.

In 2010, Qatar was awarded the right to the 2022 FIFA World
Cup. Qatar will be the first Arab country to organize the World Cup. Thirty
two from around the world will compete to win the World Cup.
More than two million people will visit Qatar during the event. Therefore,
the country has to be ready to accommodate such huge amount
of and .

The where the matches will take place are expected to be

amazing. Each one will have a unique design and luxurious
accommodations. By the time the World Cup begins, the stadiums will
also be equipped with cooling technology designed to reduce high
temperatures since Qatar is in a desert. Even though outdoor
temperatures are extremely high, the indoor spaces will be comfortable
because they will have a system to reduce solar radiation and warm
winds. The construction has already begun. Qatar has invested a great
deal of money to transform the country and have everything ready for the
World Cup. It will be the fanciest World Cup until now.
The usually takes places in the months of June and July.
However, due the extreme weather conditions during the summer months
in Qatar, event is likely to take place in April or September.

However, behind all this glamour and , there is an untold story of

bribery, slavery and human rights violations.

Qatar did not have enough laborers to deal with such a big project.
Therefore thousands of workers from Asian countries such as India,
Nepal and Pakistan have migrated to Qatar to work mostly in construction
jobs to create the infrastructure for the World Cup. One would think that
the richest country in the world would offer the best conditions to its
workers; however, that is not the case in Qatar.

Once employees arrive to Qatar, their passports are held by the employer
in case they realize they want to return to their home countries before
finishing the job. Therefore workers become property of the employer.
They are sent to work 12 hours a day under high temperatures and
without the necessary equipment to perform their duties. What is even
more shocking are the living conditions these workers have to face. They
live in labor camps where they one room with up to 10 other
people. The cooking facilitates are totally unhygienic. There is no clean
water. Bathrooms are unbelievably dirty. Whether their employers
promised them a fair salary or not, migrant generally receive a salary that
is not the same they were promised when they signed their contract.

All these conditions may sound like the worst nightmare, unfortunately,
this is the reality for most migrant workers in Qatar. So far, many workers
have died due to labor accidents, because of the high temperatures they
are exposed to, or due to the unhealthy conditions they live surrounded
by. Even if Qatar has amazing football stadiums, it doesn’t have a clean
human rights record. So far, more than 900 workers have died. How
many more must die before the at the first game?